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Rugby

'Mam said it felt like a lifetime' | Eimear Considine on sister Ailish's AFL concussion

Irish rugby international Eimear Considine says her sister Ailish is recovering, after she suffer...



'Mam said it felt like a lifet...
Rugby

'Mam said it felt like a lifetime' | Eimear Considine on sister Ailish's AFL concussion

Irish rugby international Eimear Considine says her sister Ailish is recovering, after she suffered a bad concussion wile playing for the Adelaide Crows in the AFLW at the weekend.

Ailish - the younger of the Considine sisters - is in her third season as part of the Crows' lineup, and was forced off in the third quarter of their game against the GWS Giants, after being concussed in a tackle with Tarni Evans.

Evans has been given a one-game ban for the tackle, and speaking to OTB AM this morning, Munster and Ireland back-three Eimear Considine says her sister is still feeling the effects of the head injury.

"She got a bad knock at the weekend to her head, but she actually doesn't remember the bang or the game, doesn't remember much around what happened.

"She just has a bad headache at the moment, so obviously going to do her return to play protocol.

"The fact that she still has headaches and symptoms means she probably won't be allowed play anyway (this weekend).

"I think Mam was watching the game and she was down for two minutes or so, but when someone close to you is down on the ground, Mam said it felt like a lifetime. She's in good hands over there, the fact that we've met the family she's staying with, that puts Mam's mind at ease a bit. The Crows are a great club and they're all about family," she said.

While her sister is in her third season playing AFL football, Eimear has similar experiences of taking up a new sport.

The former Clare footballer and camogie player became involved in rugby in 2014, when approached by the IRFU to try out for their fledgling Sevens setup.

Considine was one of a number of players from GAA backgrounds who went on to feature with Ireland at both Sevens level, and with the 15-a-side team - for whom she made her debut in 2017.

The Clare native says the core principles of Gaelic Football provide a good grounding for a wide range of sports.

"The athleticism of Gaelic Footballers is what stands out in the crowd for us and I think the ability to be able to pick up a sport, we'll be able to try our hand a lot of sports.

"Similar to what Ailish said, it wasn't the physical side if things that was difficult, it was the game understanding. Even going from sevens to 15s, they're completely different games as well.

"The hardest challenge was the game understanding, it's still a work in progress.

"That was key with me, looking at players and seeing what they did well. I felt at the very start of rugby I wasn't sure how to get off my wing. I watched clips of Keith Earls getting off his wing and popping inside and outside 10, watching what he does because he gets on the ball a lot for a winger.

"It was just his work rate, a lot of wingers will stay and wait for everyone else to get the ball, but that gets boring it gets frustrating if the ball isn't coming out. "

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